Drip

“Don’t stay up too late, Miles” calls his mother. “You’ll do great tomorrow” She walks over to her 16 year old boy and grabbs his face, then plants a kiss on each cheek.

“Mom!” Hollars the boy, trying to finish his school work. She let out a chuckle similar the great fat man himself. One might expect a Ho Ho Ho! The mother heads for the door and reminds her son to go to bed soon once again. When the door shuts behind his mother, Mike forces his focus back to the piles of work laying on his bed. For hours equations float through his head; what is the difference in the biggest number and the average of the following number. If Jerry has 8 socks for.. and 6 pants for… . His head begins to throb and his main struggle is keeping his eyes open. Miles listens to the fans spin and find himself easily distracted by the swaying of the light switch from the ceiling fan. He can feel his wrist begin to ache from writing and before he knows it, his eyelids have fallen, along with his head and the pencil in his hand.

Miles awakes cold in the middle of the night. He reaches around the bed,looking for any form of covering. He has almost given up when his hand lands on something wet on the bed. Bringing his hand to his his eyes, Miles doesn’t have to smell it, he already knows what it is. His entire body feels wet, the bed is soaked in blood. The boy continues to stare at his hand until he is suddenly blinded but the amount of liquid that has landed in his face. Shaking, he wipes the blood from his eyes and stare at the object on the ceiling. A human like figure faces toward the ground, where it’s face should be, a mound of blood. Patches of skin surround the neck and body. Long Incisions cover the creature and the Cuts and bruises cause it to swell and ooze blood. A hand makes circle rotation on the ceiling, then reaches for the boy. It’s long talon-like fingers come closer and closer, till Miles can feel the heat of the finger on his nose. The mound of blood opens and a horrible high pitch scream is let out. quite similar to nails on a chalk board. The boys face continues to be coated in blood as he lets out an almost identical cry. Preparing to run, he sits up in bed to find his bedroom light on and his school work covering his almost every inch of his bed. He moves his head side to side taking in the view. The bed is still made and the ceiling is completely empty. The clock on his desk reads 12:31. He runs his fingers through his hair, relieved to be free of the nightmare, then begins to pick up the mess of papers around him. When the mess is collected and he has places the papers on his desk and retrieved a water from his backpack he then resumes his place in the bed. As he rises the water to his lip he looks at the clock again then stops. It reads 12:31. A sharp pain in Miles arm causes him to look down at his arm. A long scar starts from his thumb and continues to his mid forearm. Miles can’t recall when he received such an abrupt scar. With the opposite hand he traces the scar, then pokes it. Suddenly the light pops next to Miles and the room is black. He can smell the blood around him again and his body is wet and cold. When he looks to the ceiling, the monster no longer there, but instead leaning over him from the side of his bed. It lets out a horrible scream once again, then lunges at the boy's throat. Miles feels his body get sucked into the bed. Breathing has become impossible. When he reaches for his throat, his body resists and pain feels his body, instead he digs his nails into the bed.

Miles digs his nails in harder, pulling his body up ward. When he sits up in bed, his head looks side to side again. The bedroom light is on, the extra fan is spinning and the switch for the one hanging on the roof sways back and forth. The blood had finally stopped pounding in his ears when he looks at his arm. His had is perfectly normal; bitten nails, five figures, no scratches or bruises. It was as though the scar was never there.

A group of boys Stand outside the big building. The label Jackson Valley high school is hung above the broad brown door. It looks quite similar to a church.

“Dude, where is he?” Asks one boy with spiky blond hair. “He’s never this late”

“ I don’t know man, I’m sure he’ll be here soon.“ says another.

“ look There he is” says the last.

“That ain’t him, stupid” says the first, shoving the third. “That’s a freshmen”

“Lay off, Hayden” says the second.

“Yeah what Alex said”

“Shut up Joey” Alex and Hayden say together.

“Look” squeals Alex as he points to the far end of the school. As miles approaches the school the boys gather around him, and begin walking to the gym.

“Where were you!?”

“What took you so long!?”

“ Did you bring me breakfast!?”

“Shut up Joey!!” The three other boys yell suddenly looking down on their small friend, then continue walking.

“ sorry guys, woke up late” when in truth he couldn’t sleep at all.

“Luck bastard” exclaims Alex.” I wish I could have gotten as much sleep as you. I was up all night studying.” Before Miles has a chance to respond, the advisor roaming the gym, begins to give directions. when the class has taken their seats the advisor tells them to begin. Which is the correct way to punctuate this sentence? Miles moves his finger to point to the section of the test. Instead of the flash finger he expected, a claw points to his test. He can feel his face go white as the blood rushes from it as a drop of blood lands on his paper. The room no longer smells like sweaty gym socks and waxed floors, instead it is entirely blood. His hand begins to move to his opposite rest, when he tries to resist the movement he cannot. The claw digs in to the point at the bottom of his thumb. Miles clenches his teeth as the claw begins to drag down his forearm, ripping through his flesh to exposing a line of blood. The boy can no longer contain his cries, nor hide the pain he hits the table when he jerks and falls to the ground. The advisor has just noticed the disruption. Hey screaming boy lies on the floor. Except he’s not only screaming, he’s laughing. He holds his arm in his Opposite hand, squeezing it.

“Mr. Parson!?” She yells at him. Her tone suggests that she is both confused and scared.

“Mr. Parson!?” She cries once more. This time rushing to his side. When she reaches the boy, he lays stiff on the ground. He is no longer screaming nor laughing, tear rolls down his cheek and his eyes are wide open at the ceiling. Blood trickles from the corner of his mouth and down the side of his face.